Mon June 17, 2013

State tourism officials say lodging revenue in Colbert and Lauderdale counties in 2012 was $1.1 million - up by about $30,000 from 2011.

The TimesDaily of Florence reported Sunday (http://bit.ly/16v0eBO ) that state tourism officials said the increase in lodging revenue was part of a nearly $303 million impact tourists had on the shoals area of northern Alabama last year.

The total includes money spent on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, retail shopping, admissions to attractions and tourist events.

The expansion of an Illinois-based lighting company is poised to bring 275 new jobs to their plant in Muscle Shoals.

North American Lighting is planning a $36 million expansion and the Shoals Economic Development Authority agreed Tuesday to allocate $260,000 from its economic development fund toward the project. The Shoals Industrial Development Committee is set to meet Thursday to vote on whether approve the funding.